The Community College of Allegheny County and Indiana University of Pennsylvania have entered into a collaborative agreement that offers students the opportunity to earn an associate degree in Teacher Education: Middle Level and Secondary from CCAC and a bachelor's degree in Middle-Level Education (Mathematics/Science Specialization) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The presidents of CCAC and IUP will finalize the agreement with a signing ceremony on January 27, 2016 in Byers Hall on Allegheny Campus.
The articulation program, which will begin in the 2016 spring semester, will be taught entirely at CCAC. Students will begin studies with CCAC courses and then spend their last two years taking IUP courses taught by IUP faculty on CCAC Allegheny Campus. Students will transition to IUP while remaining in Pittsburgh.
Students also may be able to take advantage of a grant CCAC received from the National Science Foundation totaling $629,207 for the Biotechnology, Bioremediation, Math and Science (BioMaS) Workforce Collaborative project.
This provides scholarships to CCAC students majoring in biotechnology, bioremediation or mathematics and science associate degree programs. The five-year project will actively seek to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in STEM, including veterans and their dependents, minorities and women.
“Through this unique partnership, the Community College of Allegheny County and Indiana University of Pennsylvania have once again drawn upon our shared ideals in order to provide the region's residents with future-focused educational options designed to meet the needs of both employers in the educational sector and our students,” CCAC President Dr. Quintin B. Bullock said. “Together, we are helping to ensure that the region's future educators have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed both in and outside of the classroom.”
The collaborative education program prepares undergraduate students to become effective, highly-qualified teachers. Students who complete the program will be certified to teach general subjects in grades four through six and mathematics or science in middle schools in grades seven and eight.
“IUP is honored and pleased to collaborate with President Bullock and the CCAC team to help meet the needs of students and the region,” IUP President Dr. Michel Driscoll said. “I'm especially pleased with opportunities provided by scholarships for underrepresented students in STEM.”
Interested students should apply to the CCAC/IUP collaborative during the fall of their freshman year; students must attend classes full-time during their final two years in the program. Application forms are available at campus admissions offices or by calling the CCAC/IUP Collaborative Teacher Certification Program office at (412) 237-4501.